To fully exploit the capacity of a communication system, it is typically desirable to optimize the utilization of the available radio resources. Thus, an available radio resource should not be left unused if system capacity is to be approached. Radio resources may include time resources, frequency resources, code resources, etc.
In a typical communication scenario, for example in a cellular communication network, a scheduler is involved for allocating the radio resources. For example, a radio resource may be allocated for uplink (UL) or downlink (DL) communication to a particular wireless communication terminal according to principles well known in the art.
One or more time references are typically upheld by a wireless communication device. A time reference may comprise an internal time reference or a time reference provided by a communication network.
Internal time references may be un-aligned with time references of other wireless communication devices. Likewise, time references (referring to the same or different component carriers) provided by different nodes of a communication network may be un-aligned.
When a typical scheduler allocates resources to one or more wireless communication devices and there is a misalignment between time references of the one or more wireless communication devices, the available radio resources will not be fully utilized. Several examples of such scenarios will be given below in the detailed description.
Therefore, there is a need for alternative and improved methods and arrangements of radio resource allocation/utilization. In particular, there is a need for such methods and arrangements that accommodate the situation when there is a misalignment between time references of one or more wireless communication devices to which radio resources are to be allocated.